Saturday, June 3, 2017

LAST WHALE IN THE BAY?

Days and nights are getting warmer Highs of 31 degrees celcius (87.8 degrees farenheit) are being recorded, with humidity at 75%. Bed covers have been discarded. Cooling coconut water to drink out of coconuts is sold on a corner near the river and at punta negra beach. Rivers are low or almost dry as they approach the bay. Curdled, grey clouds hover over the bay in early morning hours
Cicadas have not yet begun their mating buzz, which means summer rains and their accompanying electrical storms are not yet imminent.

RIO CUALE LOOKING EAST FROM DOWNTOWN. MIRANDO AL OESTE.

RÍO CUALE - A FEW BLOCKS BEFORE IT EMPTIES INTO THE BAY - UNAS CUADRAS DE LA ORILLA DE LA BAHÍA

CLOSE TO THE RIVER AND BEACHES - CUTTING OFF THE TOPS OF COCONUTS WITH A MACHETE FOR A COOLING DRINK, FROM A STRAW. CERCA DEL RÍO,Y LAS PLAYAS - VENDIENDO AGUA DE COCO.

PANGA SUNDAY: In the distance, we noticed a large, dark irregular shaped object. We changed our direction to due west and headed in a southernly directions towards it.

BAHIA DE BANDERAS EL 27 DE MAYO - EN LA DISTANCIA- ¡UNA BALLENA! ON THE 27TH OF MAY, - IN THE DISTANCE - A WHALE I IN THE BAY OF BANDERAS!

As we came closer, all of us were astonished to see that it was a solitary whale. At a respectful distance from it, the engine was cut off and we stayed to admire this great cetacean for a quarter of an hour. After submerging in the dark green water at five or six minute intervals, the whale would resurface and with a very loud whoooosh, exhale It was the only sound in the silence far from shore. After several emersions, the whale showed its fluke with the last dive, and disappeared.

It is generally acknowledged that by the end of April, the last whales to leave the Bay of Banderas are the newest mothers with their calfs. After April, the waters begin to warm, which means there will not be for the whales to feed on. Karla de la Pena, owner of Boca Divers, called ECOBAR to report the Sunday sighting. She was told that this was very exciting news, with two possibilities - that the whale was one of a pod of humpbacks that travel as far south as Central America. Once the whales detect the warming water current, they start their long migration north. The other possibility is that a whale, possibily a juvenile, became separated from its pod. A solitary swim north would be very dangerous. Orcas, operating like a pack of hungry wolves, could attack the vulnerable voyager.

The most dangerous enemies of the whale are of course humans, most specifically the humans controlling whaling in (order of highest kills) Norway, Iceland and Japan. If you are against this senseless and barbaric slaughter, please take the time to protest to their embassies/consulates by phone or email.

COLONIA LINDA VISTA: Getting there means a turn to the east at Costco and heading up rubbled, rutted dusty roads into a semi-rural area a bit above the centro de acopio (no-kill pound), high above the bay. On calle Capri, a short dirt road, there was a Belgian Shepherd tied up on the corner and a horse tethered to a tree across from it. The air was smokey from four or five burning piles of leaves that had a few plastic bottles on top.

Linda Vista was named "pretty view," because far, far below, there is a strip of blue bay. There are dozens and dozens of street dogs living here because of the neighborhood´s very close proximity to the pound. People come with dogs at night or very early in the morning and tie them up to the front gate of the acopio. Unable to accept all these dogs, the ropes are cut and these former pets run loose in in the colonia, where neighbors attempt to feed them. This week, many of these dogs were getting sterilized at the clinic.

Poli told me that the woman who offered her garage space for the clinic has 17 rescue dogs. Elena, who owns more than 20 rescue dogs and brings street dogs and neighbors´dogs to us many weeks of the year, was there on Thursday. She told me she had brought 16 in the morning, 22 on Wednesday, and would probably be back Friday with more. I was unable to get photos of dogs with their owners, because almost none of the dogs at the clinic had owners. Angelica of AngeliCAT was there with six kittens for sterilization and a dog we had spayed weeks ago. The female dog had been attacked and was there to have her dog bite wound repaired by Dr. Poli.

EN LA ESQUINA - UN PASTOR BELGA Y ATRÁS UN CABALLO Y UNA GALLINA - AT THE CORNER OF CAPRI STREET WHERE CLINIC TOOK PLACE IN COLONIA LINDA VISTA - A TIED-UP BELGIAN SHEPHERD AND ACROSS FROM IT, A TETHERED HORSE STANDING OVER A CHICKEN.

Because I was so close to the acopio, I stopped by to have a look. Manuel Zepeda, the excellent dog trainer, was there and gave me a tour. Cats have a large space with beds, "trees" and toys. All dogs are given a 15-20 minutes daily romp in the large, enclosed field. Kennels and cages were immaculate. All dogs have raised "beds" to sleep and rest on. Volunteers of Friends of PV Animals come on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to walk dogs and bathe them. There are 30 Pit Bulls and Pit Bull- mixes at the acopio, and all are scheduled to go 10 at a time to Canada in November when the heat embargo ends. A white male Pit Bull that I had seen months ago, spinning around and around in circles with a "dangerous" sign on his kennel, is now peaceful and affectionate. Training and tenderness have transformed this dog.

Mary Beth Kester, 6th grade teacher at the American School, invited me to pick up an envelope containing her students´fundraising money for PEACEAnimals. Leslie Caratachea, who had made an educational presentation a few weeks ago, was unable to attend, as she was working at the Linda Vista clinic. The envelope containing 5,247.50 pesos had a message written on it: "PEACEAnimals - please continue your good work!"

The donation project was led by the students, who voted on what types of organizations they wanted to help, and then selected their own methods of raising funds. They voted to help animals and to sell cookies or solicit donations for PEACEAnimals. Twenty-one energetic and enrprising students split into two evenly divided groups. The cookie group sold 2,940 pesos worth of cookies and the solicitors raised 2,308.5 pesos. PEACEEAnimals leashes were given to students to walk their dogs with or to give to someone with a dog that doesn´t have a leash. Hopefully their fundraising experience will inspire these young people to become advocates for a cause they feel passionate about.

LAILA SOS FUND - 6,000 pesos paid to Dr. Alejandro Castillo, who specializes in orthopedic surgery and who gave a generous 30% discount. The funds paid were for a young, female street dog hit by a car in San Vicente. The dog´s initial expenses of xrays and pain meds were paid for by rescuer, Jovanny Nuño Aguilar, who has adopted ths dog and named her"Pelusa."

I met Jovanny and Pelusa Saturday morning at Dr. Castillo´s office, just before the dog´s surgery, When I asked Jovanny to please get Pelusa spayed as soon as she was strong enough, he said he had another dog, "Maya," who had given birth to 13 puppies six weeks ago. They have all been given away, which means more and more dogs breeding within the year and more and more suffering.. Jovanny has promised to take both dogs to one of our clinics. Pelusa will be released back to Jovanny on Wednesday.

RAISING FUNDS AND VISIBILITY: Three hundred PEACEAnimals blue mesh shopping/beach bags with,extra-long straps are now available. The PEACeAnimals logo and website are on one side and the familiar mermaid on the other. Bags are 200 pesos each and can be purchased at:

Lucy´s CuCu Cabana -295 Basilio Badillo (AFTER OCTOBER 25TH)

Galeria Uno - 561 Morelos

Colleción la Bohemia at Constitución and Basilio

Cork&Bottle - Los Mercados - Aquiles Serdan 265

Charlie's Sport Fishing and Tours- Local 8B -Marina Vallarta

Galeria Dante - 269 Basilio Badillo

Macaria- Josefa de Ortiz #129, between Morelos and the malecón.

DONATE WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY: PEACEAnimals is able to receive donations from Amazon Smile under the umbrella of Banderas Bay Charities, Inc. Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organizations selected by their customers. This is a very simple way to help fund our clinics: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4752247 Even simpler, long on to www.amazonsmile.com and type in Banderas Bay Charities, Inc. (PEACEAnimals receives all of these donations).

June 14-17 - Valle Dorado, Nayarit - at the plaza principal - in back of the churchJuly 16-18 - Vet team will be in Tepic for a veterinarian symposiumJuly 20 - THURSDAY-July 23 - SUNDAY - Mismaloya in the kindegarden classroom of the public school. The hope is that there will be animals from boca, las juntas y los veranos and el tuito.

DESIGNATED LINE WITH RECORDING ADVISING LOCATION AND DIRECTIONS – ONLY IN SPANISH –

(322) 113 3955

TO REPORT ANIMAL ABUSE, CALL THE CENTRO DE ACOPIO - 322-223-3690 OR THE POLICE - 911 - AND ASK FOR THE "GREEN PATROL" ("PATROLLA VERDE")

PETS FOR LIFE SPECIAL ONE-DAY CLINICS ARE HELD ON THE ISLA CUALE THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH. CLINICS OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AT 7 AM.

PETS FOR LIFE, A MEXICAN S.C. (BUSINESS), IS PAID 4,500 PESOS FOR THE STERILIZATION OF 30 ANIMALS. IF NUMBERS ARE GREATER, INDIVIDUALS OR ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

For each cat or dog over the number 30, sponsors of the Sunday clinics will be charged 150 pesos. To sponsor a Sunday clinic, please contact: shannon@bestonproperties.com

January 8, 2017 - October 2017 - ANONYMOUS DONOR HAS PROVIDED FUNDING (SPAY/NEUTER FOR 30 CATS AND DOGS) TO PEACEANIMALS FOR 10 SUNDAY CLINICS ON THE ISLA CUALE. (As SPCAPV paid for 100% of the April clinic, the anonymous donor´s donation for 10 clinics of 30 animals each will include November).

NOTE: PEACEAnimals, per our agreement with independent contractors, Pets for Life, is obliged to pay extra for driving time and gasoline for areas outside Puerto Vallarta.We ask that private or government groups pay those extra expenses.

PEACEAnimals does not buy advertising or pay for posters, flyers, megaphone announcers or locations. All monies raised go directly to actual costs of the clinics. Dr. Poli, as director of PEACEAnimals, a Mexican AC (non-profit) and Pets for Life, a Mexican SC (business), selects clinic locations.

All pet registration forms with signatures of owners or rescuers are submitted by Dr. Poli to the local department of health, with copies to PEACEAnimals.

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Clinic schedule, including directions and other clinic information are always on website: www.peaceanimals.org, on this blog and on the PEACEAnimals FaceBook page.

Please "like" PEACEAnimals and Calle Cero on FaceBook.

LUNCH DONATIONS NEEDED FOR VET TEAM.

PEACEAnimals has a lunch budget of 70 pesos per vet team member (four persons) per day - 4 days a week.

Please consider donating lunches for them, and please advise so we can create a lunch schedule. By having lunches donated, these savings can used for purchases of supplies and medicines.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS AT THE CLINICS. We are almost ALWAYS SHORT on volunteers!!! Having people help with registrations, carrying pets from surgery tables to recovery tables, monitoring vital signs, returning pets to owners with certificates of sterilization/care instructions , plus clean-ups give the vet team more time for surgeries. And... this is an interesting way to see different colonias and ranch areas in and around Vallarta. Please sign up: Leslie Caratachea via FB or infopeaceanimals@gmail.com - or simply drop by and spend as much time as you like.

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About Me

Gretchen DeWitt is president of the board of directors of PEACEAnimals, which was founded in 2011. She was co-founder of the SPCAPV, where she served as president for 18 months before joining the board of directors of PEACE MEXICO. Her focus was raising funds for "Ayuda a los Animales," a free spay/neuter program.